3 Habits You Need to Change if You Want to Reduce Lower Back Pain
If I asked a group of people if they suffered from any pain or
discomfort I firmly believe the majority would say ‘Yes’. Pain is far
too common these days and I constantly encounter complaints related to
the lower back. Without the proper prevention strategies the number of
people suffering from this problem will grow.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human
Services, a study examining mortality or poor health as a result of
diseases placed low back pain as the sixth most burdensome condition in
1990. As of 2010, low back pain jumped to third place.
You read that correctly, as of 2010, low back pain ranked 3rd
I’m going to jump right to it and mention 3 habits you need to change
if you want to reduce lower back pain. While this isn’t the only list,
nor does it completely cover everything involved it’s a great start to
get you or your clients on a mission toward a proper pain free future.
1. You sit too often
You may have heard that sitting isn’t your friend. The problem is you
still do it for long periods because your life often demands it. You
may sit during your meal times, on the ride to work, and while at your
job. Like many, you may be sitting for 8-10 hours or more daily and if
you’re concerned about your lower back, you need to start standing and
moving around more often. I’ll also mention, if you’re sitting in poor
alignment for the amount of hours I mentioned, your risk of incurring a
serious problem increases.
2. You exercise with poor form or not at all
Whenever you exercise, pay attention to the way you’re performing
your techniques and the position of your body. There’s a good chance the
way you’re exercising and the kinds of activities you’re doing in the
gym are contributing to a more insidious problem. If you don’t exercise,
this is your invitation to get cracking because exercise in proper
alignment is beneficial for maintaining the integrity of your
intervertebral discs. It can also improve coordination, and develop
proper posture and muscle balance.
3. You don’t pay attention to your body alignment during your daily routine
Sleeping, eating, washing the dishes, walking, and a host of other
regular activities are often done in poor alignment. You have to start
thinking more about what you do on a consistent basis. What position do
you sleep in? When you eat do you lurch forward? What is your body doing
while you’re working? Pay special attention to anything you do daily,
and mind your body alignment.
While this short list is not a call for you to scrutinize every
little activity, I implore you to pay closer attention to what you’re
doing and start making changes today. Lower back pain is unpleasant and
for some the root of the cause is more serious and may require surgery.
Believe me when I say this, if you don’t start making changes, you open
the way for more serious dilemmas.
- Are you worried about low back pain?
- Do you know someone with back pain?
- Are you ready to change something or help others create change?
Try one of these products from our partner BackJoy®. If you’ve never tried a posture correction product, I implore you to consider grabbing one of BackJoy’s sitting devices.
They’re made to help you during your long hours of sitting by keeping
your pelvis upright and preventing your muscles from flattening under
your body weight. |